Viking Age Silver Jewelry That Doubled As Money Was Discovered On A Farm In Denmark By A Metal Detectorist
On a farm in Denmark, more than a half-dozen pieces of Viking Age silver jewelry that doubled as money were unearthed.
Gustav Brunnsgaard, a 22-year-old metal detectorist and archaeology student at Aarhus University, had been exploring farmland near Elsted, a town located north of Aarhus, when his metal detector went off.
As he dug into the soil, he encountered a silver bangle. According to a translated statement from the Moesgaard Museum in Højbjerg, he returned to the field a few days later and discovered six more bracelets. Previous excavations at the field had found traces of a Viking Age settlement.
Bruunsgaard notified officials of the discovery. They dated the items to the 800s, which was during the early Viking Age in Scandinavia. The Viking Age spanned from A.D. 793 to 1066.
“The Elsted farm treasure is a fantastically interesting find from the Viking Age, which connects Aarhus with Russia and Ukraine in the east and the British Isles in the west,” said Kasper H. Andersen, a historian at the museum.
“In this way, the find emphasizes how Aarhus was a central hub in the Viking world, which went all the way from the North Atlantic to Asia.”
The bracelets served as a form of currency called hacksilver that was used during the Viking Age. Hacksilver usually consisted of pieces of cut or bent silver. It was mostly spent on new armor or weapons.
Together, the bracelets weighed over a pound. Their value would have been measured by a “common weight system.” They were used as a means of payment and represented the owner’s financial status.
The jewelry may have been produced in southern Scandinavia, possibly in Denmark. One of the bangles was shaped like a coiled ring and resembled a style of bracelet that originally came from Russia or Ukraine.
venemama – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Meanwhile, three band-shaped stamped bracelets appeared to have inspired similar bangle designs in Ireland, where they became very popular.
The other remaining three bracelets had rare smooth designs associated with Scandinavia and England. Currently, the silver treasures are on display at the Moesgaard Museum.
The discovery has helped to shed more light on the early Scandinavian economy and trade. Typically, silver jewelry and other artifacts unearthed in Scandinavian countries have aided researchers in marking the trade routes between Europe and the rest of the world during the Viking Age.
The most remarkable occurrences of premodern global trade have been known to take place during the Viking Age, particularly between A.D. 750 and A.D. 1000. This period was when trade connections were established between the Islamic Empire and Afro-Eurasia.
A silver ring found in Sweden in the 1800s that dates back to A.D. 850 suggested that Scandinavians had close contact with the Islamic world during the Viking Age. The ring had an inscription written in an ancient Arabic script.
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